Molded articles and methods of making same



J. C. GITS April 12, 1966- MOLDED ARTICLES AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 8, 1964 April 12, 1966 J. c. GlTS MOLDED ARTICLES AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1964 FIG. 8.

FIG. 7.

United States Patent 3,245,715 MOLDED ARTICLES AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME Jules C. Gits, 704 Grand, Glen Ellyn, Ill. Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 394,939 8 Claims. (Cl. 29759) This invention relates to improvements in Molded Articles and Methods of Making Same. More particularly, this invention relates to improvements in folding chairs.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved folding chair.

The folding chair provided by the present invention has spaced-apart rear legs which are part of a unitary rear frame that generally resembles an inverted U. That folding chair also has spaced-apart front legs; and each of those front legs generally resembles an inverted I. The short arms of those front legs extend into sleeves which are permanently secured to those rear legs; and those short arms can rotate freely relative to those sleeves, but they are held against separation from those sleeves. The folding chair has a back rest which is attached to the unitary rear frame that includes the rear legs; and that chair also has a seat which is normally horizontal but which can be raised to a vertical position and set against the back rest when the chair is to be folded. The rear frame, the front legs, the back rest, and the seat of the folding chair provided by the present invention are so made and are so interrelated that the said chair does not require nuts, bolts or screws. As a result, that chair is not subject to the weakening which is experienced by chairs that are secured together by nuts, bolts and screws after those nuts, bolts and screws become loose. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a folding chair which has a rear frame, front legs, a back rest, and a seat that are so made and so interrelated that the said chair does not require any nuts, bolts o-r screws.

The sleeves, which are secured to the rear legs of the rear frame and which receive the short arms of the J- shaped front legs, are inclined forwardly whenever the folding chair is in use. Further, those portions of the short arms of the front legs which extend upwardly from the sleeves on the rear frame also extend forwardly whenever that chair is in use. The forward inclination of those sleeves plus the forward inclination of those portions of the short arms of the front legs enables the weight of the user of the chair to provide binding and clamping forces between those short arms and those sleeves; and those binding and clamping forces enable that chair to provide full and solid support for the user thereof. This is desirable because it makes it possible for the front legs to be freely rotatable relative to the rear frame, whenever the chair is to be folded or opened, and yet to provide solid support for the seat of that chair whenever that chair is in use. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide sleeves on the rear frame of a folding chair, to incline those sleeves forwardly, and to forwardly incline those portions of the front legs of the chair which extend upwardly from those sleeves.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention should become apparent from an examination of the drawing and accompanying description.

In the drawing and accompanying description a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and described but it is to be understood that the drawing and accompanying description are for the purpose of illustration only and do not limit the invention and that the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a plan view of one preferred embodiment of folding chair that is made in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present inventlon.

3,245,715 Patented Apr. 12, 1966 ice FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the right-hand side of the folding chair of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, on a larger scale, through part of the chair of FIG. 1, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 33 in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view, on the scale of FIG. 3, through another part of the chair of FIG. 1, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 44 in FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is a partially-broken vertical section, on a still larger scale, through one of the sleeves of the folding chair shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view, on the scale of FIG. 2, of the folding chair of FIG. 1, and it shows the folded positions of the front legs and of the seat of that chair by dashed lines,

FIG. 7 is a partially-sectioned, partially broken-away, elevational view, on the scale of FIG. 2, of the righthand side of the folding chair of FIG. 1 as that chair appears when it has been folded, 7

FIG. 8 is a sectional View, on the scale of FIG. 2, through the folding chair of FIG. 1 after that chair has been folded, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 8-8 in FIG. 6, and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view, on an even larger scale, through part of the chair of FIG. 1, and it is taken along the plane indicated by the line 99 in FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral 20' denotes the left rear leg of one preferred embodiment of folding chair that is made in accordance with the principles and teachings of the present invention. That rear leg is preferably made from a length of tubing; and the upper end of that rear leg merges smoothly into an upwardly and inwardly inclined portion 22. The upper end of the inclined portion 22 merges smoothly into one arm of an inverted U-shaped portion 24; and the other arm of that inverted U-sh-aped portion merges smoothly into a downwardly and outwardly inclined portion 26. The portion 26 merges smoothly into the right rear leg 28 of the folding chair. The legs 20 and 28, the inclined portions 22 and 26, and the inverted U-shaped portion 24 are preferably made from one continuous length of tubing; and they can thus constitute a unitary rear frame for the folding chair. A yieldable cup 30, of plastic material or the like, is telescoped upwardly over the lower end of the rear leg 20; and a similar yieldable cup 32 is telescoped upwardly over the lower end of the rear leg 28. Those cups provide a yieldable surface which will not mar or scratch floors, rugs, or other fioor coverings.

A back rest 34 is preferably molded from plastic material; and that back rest has a split sleeve 36 on the rear surface thereof which can be pressed onto one arm of the inverted U-shaped portion 24, has a split sleeve 38 on the rear surface thereof which can be pressed onto the closed end of that inverted U-shaped portion, and has a split sleeve 40 on the rear surface thereof which can be pressed onto the other arm of that inverted U-shapecl portion. The back rest 34 is formed so it has a rearwardlyextending offset; and that offset will strengthen that back rest. Once the split sleeves 36, 38 and 40 have been pressed onto the appropriate portions of the inverted U- shaped portion 24, the back rest 34 will remain in assembled relation with the rear frame of the folding chair.

The numeral 42 denotes a sleeve which is permanently secured to the rear leg 20, adjacent the upper end of that leg, by a brazing, welding or other operation. The numeral 44 denotes a similar sleeve which is suitably brazed, welded or otherwise secured to the rear leg 28 adjacent the upper end of that leg. The sleeves 42 and 44 are set at the same level, and both of them incline forwardly and inwardly when the chair is in the open position indicated by FIGS. 2 and 6. Each of the sleeves 42 and 44 has an indentation 45 in the front surface thereof; and

hence each of those sleeves has an inwardly-directed pro tuberance at the interior thereof.

The numeral 46 denotes the left front leg of the folding chair, and that leg generally has the form of an inverted I. The numeral 48 denotes the right front leg of the folding chair, and that leg generally has the form of an inverted I. The short arms of the front legs 46 and 48, respectively, telescope downwardly into the sleeves 42 and 44 onthe rear legs 20 and 28; Each of the lower ends of those short arms has a groove 49 which is circumferentially-directed and which has an angular extent of slightly more than ninety degrees. Each of those grooves starts at a point which is close to the center of the front of the short arm of the front leg and extends toward the outside face of that short arm. The grooves 49 are dimensioned to accommodate the inwardly-directed protuberances which are at the interiors of the sleeves 42 and 44. The grooves 49 and the protuberances at the interiors of the sleeves 42 and 44 will prevent accidental separation of the front legs 46 and 48 from the rear frame. However, the grooves 49 will permit the front legs 46 and 48 to rotate freely relative to the sleeves 42 and 44 for more than ninety degrees, and will thus permit those legs to rotate freely relative to the rear frame for more than ninety degrees. Yieldable cups 5i} and 52, of plastic material or the like, are telescoped upwardly over the lower ends of the long arms of the front legs 46 and 48. Those cups provide yieldable surfaces which will not mar or scratch floors, rugs, or other fioor covermgs.

The portions of the front legs 46 and 4% which extend upwardly from the sleeves 42 and 44 are inclined sharply to the axes of those sleeves. Those inclinations are important because they keep the short arms of those front legs from telescoping downwardly too far relative to those sleeves. In addition those inclinations coactwith the inclinations of the sleeves 42 and 44 to enable downward forces on the closed ends of the front legs 46 and 48 to provide binding and clamping forces between the short arms of those legs and the sleeves 42 and 44. Those binding and clamping forces enable the folding chair to solidly support the users thereof.

The numeral 58 denotes a seat which is preferably provided with a downwardly-extending offset, and that offset strengthens that seat. A pair of split sleeves 60 is formed on the underface of the seat 58, adjacent the left-hand edge of that seat as shown by FIG. 1; and those split sleeves can be pressed onto the closed end of the front leg 46. A second pair of split sleeves 62 is formed on the underface of the seat 58, adjacent the right-hand edge of that seat as shown by FIG. 1; and those split sleeves can be pressed onto the closed end of the front.

leg 43. As indicated by FIGS. 3 and 4, the split sleeves 60 encompass more of the periphery of the closed end of the front leg 46 than the split sleeves 62 encompass of the periphery of the closed end of the front leg 43. As a result, the split sleeves 60 can permanently hold the seat 58 against accidental separation from the front leg 46, while the split sleeves 62 selectively permit the seat 58 to be raised upwardly and away from the front leg 48. 1 The back rest 34and the split sleeves 36, 3S and 40 thereon arepreferably molded in one operation. That back rest is preferably made from a sturdy and tough plastic material; and one such material is propylene. Similarly, the seat 58 and the split sleeves 60 and 62 thereon are preferably molded in one operation. That seat is preferably made from a sturdy and tough plastic material; and one such material is propylene. Ifdesired, ribs could be provided on the rear face of the back rest 34 and on the bottom face of the seat 58 to additionally strengthen that back rest and that seat.

In making the folding chair provided by the present invention, a length of tubing is bent to constitute the legs 20 and 28, the inclined portions 22 and 26, and the inverted U-shaped portion 24; and then the sleeves 42 and 44 are secured to the upper ends of the legs 20 and with the rear. frame.

28. The back rest 34 isthen set so the split in the split sleeve 38 thereon is in register with and is adjacent the closed end of the inverted U-shaped portion 24 of the rear frame, and so the splits in the split sleeves 36 and 4t} thereon are in register with and adjacent the arms of that inverted U-shaped portion. Thereupon, that back rest is pressed rearwardly against that inverted U-shaped portion to cause the split sleeves 36,68 and 40m open and snap into holding engagement with the appropriate parts of the inverted U-shaped portion 24. If desired, spreading tools can be used to facilitate the opening of the split sleeves 36, 38 and 49. The front legs 46 and 48 have the short arms thereof telescoped downwardly through the sleeves 42 and 44 to assemble those front legs with the rear frame. The sharply inclined portions of the front legs 46-and 43 limit the extent to which the short arms of those front legs can telescope downwardly through those sleeves; so even very unskilled persons can readily assemble the front legs 46 and 48 As the sharply inclined portions of the front legs 46 and 48 approach the upper ends of the sleeves 42 and 44, the grooves 49 in the short arms of those legs will move into register with the protuberances at the interiors of those sleeves. During the telescoping of the short arms of the front legs 46 and 48 into the sleeves 42 and 44, the metal of those short arms and of those sleeves will yield to permit the grooves 49 to move into register with the protuberances at the interiors of those sleeves.

The yieldable cups 30, 32,356) and 52 are then telescoped upwardly over the lower ends of the legs 29, 28, 46, 43, so the chair can be rested on a floor without marring or scratching that floor. The splits in the split sleeves 60 are then set in register with and adjacent the closed end of the front leg 46, and those split sleeves are then pressed against that closed end of that leg until those split sleeves open and snap into holding engagement with that closed end. If desired, spreading tools can be used to facilitate the opening of the split sleeves 60. At such time, the various components of the folding chair will have been assembled together; and, significantly, no bolts, nuts or screws were used or required in the assembling of those various components.

If the chair is to be folded, the seat 58 will be rotated upwardly, with theclosed end of the front leg 46 as the axis of rotation, until that seat is close to the plane defined by that front leg. The front leg 48 will then be rotated to the position shown by FIG. 8; and the engagement between the short arm of that front leg and the sleeve 44 will permit ready rotation of that front leg relative to the rear frame. Also, the groove 49 in the short arm of that leg will be long enough to permit that leg to rotate into that position. Thereafter, the front leg 46, with the attached seat 58, will be rotated to the position shown by FIGS. 7 and 8;and the engagement between the short armof that leg and the sleeve 42 will permit ready rotation of that front leg relative to the rear frame. Also, the groove 49 in the short arm of that leg will be long enough to permit that leg to rotate into that position. At such time, the chair will have been folded into the compact position shown by FIGS. 7 and 8. The chair can be handled easily, while it is in its folded position; and it will not have any sharp edges, such as the corners of nuts and the ends of bolts or screws, which could cut or chafe the fingers of the user.

To open the folded chair, it is only necessary to rotate the leg 46 and the attached seat 58 forwardly until that leg occupies a plane which is generally normal to the plane of the rear frame of the chair, to rotate the front leg 43 forwardly until that leg occupies a plane which is generally normal to the plane of the rear frame of the chair, and then to rotate the seat 58 downwardly until. the split sleeves 62 engage and snap over the closed end, of the front leg 43. The split sleeves 62 will grip the; closed end of the front leg 48 with sufficient tightness to) avoid any looseness in the chair. Also, the weight of a user will coact with the forward inclinations of the sleeves 42 and 44 and with the sharp forward inclinations of the portions of the front legs 4-6 and 48 which extend upwardly from those sleeves to enable the chair to solidly support the user. The forward ends of the grooves 49 in the short arms of the legs 46 and 48 will generally position those legs as those legs are moved to open position; and hence those grooves will enable even very unskilled persons to quickly and easily open the chair.

If desired, a shallow groove could be formed, in the short arm of each of the front legs 46 and 48, which would extend from the groove 49 to the lower edge of that short arm. Such a shallow groove would reduce the amount of yielding that would be required of the metal of those short arms and of the sleeves 42 and 44 during the telescoping of those short arms into those sleeves.

Because the sleeves 42 and 44 incline inwardly, the lower ends of the legs 46 and 48 will extend about onehalf of an inch below the lower ends of the rear legs 20 and 28 whenever the chair is in its folded position. This is desirable, because it will cause those front legs to engage the floor and remain at rest, rather than be free to swing idly, whenever that chair is in its folded position. As a result, once -a user has folded the chair he can be sure that it will remain folded until he wishes to open it.

Whereas the drawing and accompanying description have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention it should be apparent to those skilled in j'the-art that various changes maybe made in the form of the invention without affecting the scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A folding chair that comprises:

(a) a rear frame which includes rear legs, an inverted U-shaped portion, and inclined portions intermediate and connecting said rear legs and said inverted U- shaped portion,

(b) sleeves secured to said rear frame adjacent the upper ends of the front surfaces of said rear legs,

(c) said sleeves inclining forwardly and also inclining inwardly whenever said chair is in its open position,

(d) a front leg that generally has the configuration of an inverted J,

(e) the short arm of said front leg telescoping downwardly into one of said sleeves and being confined and guided by said one sleeve,

(f) interacting surfaces on said one sleeve and on the shorter-m of said front leg that hold said front leg f in assembled relation with said rear frame while per- 'mitting said front leg to rotate'relative to said rear frame,

(g) said interacting surfaces including a groove in said short arm of said front leg and a protuberance at the interior of said one sleeve,

(h) a second front leg that generally has the configuration of an inverted J, a

(i) the short arm of said second front leg telescoping downwardly into the other of said sleeves, and being confined and guided by said other sleeve,

(j) further interacting surfaces on said other sleeve and on the short arm of said second front leg that i hold said second front leg in assembled relation with said rear frame while permitting said second front leg to rotate relative to said rear frame,

(k) said further interacting surfaces including a groove in said short arm of said second front leg and a protuberance at the interior of said other sleeve,

(1) a back rest with split sleeves thereon that are snapped over parts of the periphery of said inverted U-shaped portion of said rear frame, and

.(m) a seat,

(n) said seat having a plurality of aligned split sleeves that are snapped over the closed end of the first said front leg to permit rotation of said seat relative to 6 the first said front leg while holding said seat in assembled relation with the first said front leg,

( o) said seat having further aligned split sleeves that can be selectively snapped into and out of engagement with the closed end of said second front leg,

(p) the portions of the short arms of said front legs which extend upwardly from said sleeves being inclined forwardly at a sharp angle relative to said sleeves,

(q) the forward inclinations of said portions of the short arms of said front legs coacting with the forward and inward inclinations of said sleeves to enable a users weight to provide binding and clamping forces which will take up any looseness between said front legs and said sleeves, and hence between said front legs and said rear frame of said chair,

(r) said further aligned split sleeves being selectively separable from the closed end of said second front leg to enable said seat to be rotated upwardly into the plane defined by the first said front leg,

(s) said second front leg being rotatable close to the plane of said rear frame, and the first said front leg and said seat thereafter being rotatable close to said plane of said rear frame, whereby said chair can be folded so it is compact,

(t) said front legs having the lower ends of the long arms thereof extending downwardly below the lower ends of said rear legs, whenever said chair is folded, to keep said front legs from swinging loosely when said chair is in its folded position and is resting on its legs, a

(u) the inward inclinations of said sleeves causing the lower ends of the long arms of said front legs to move vertically upwardly, relative to the lower ends of said rear legs, as said front legs are rotated from their folded to their open positions,

(v) said rear legs and said inverted U-shaped portion and said inclined portions being unitary.

2. A folding chair that comprises:

(a) a rear frame which includes rear legs, an inverted U-sha-ped portion, and inclined portions intermediate and connecting said rear legs and said inverted U- shaped portion,

('b) sleeves secured to said rear frame adjacent the upper ends of said rear legs,

(0) said sleeves inclining forwardly whenever said chair is in its open position,

(d) a front leg that generally has the configuration of an inverted 3,

(e) the short arm of said front leg telescoping downwardly into one of said sleeves and being confined and guided by said one sleeve,

' (f) interacting surfaces on said one sleeve and on the short arm of said front leg that hold said front leg in assembled relation with said rear frame while permitting said front leg to rotate relative to said rear frame,

(g) a second front leg that generally has the configuration of an inverted J,

(h) the short arm of said second front leg telescoping downwardly into the other of said sleeves, and being confined and guided by said other sleeve,

(i) further interacting surfaces on said other sleeve and on the short arm of said second front leg that hold said second front leg in assembled relation with said rear frame while permitting said second front leg to rotate relative to said rear frame,

(j) a back rest with split sleeves thereon that are snapped over parts of the periphery of said inverted U-shaped portion of said rear frame, and

(k) a seat,

(1) said seat having a plurality of aligned split sleeves that are snapped over the closed end of the first said front leg to permit rotation of said seat relative to the first said front leg while holding said seat'in assembled relation with the first said front leg,

(m) said seat having further aligned split sleeves that can be selectively snapped into and out. of engagement with the closed'end of said second front leg,

(11) the portions of the short arms of said front legs which extend upwardly from said sleeves being inclined forwardly at a sharp angle relative to said sleeves,

(o) the forward inclinations of said portions of the short arms of said front legs coacting with the forward inclinations of said sleeves to enable a users weight to provide binding and clamping forces which will take up any looseness-between said front legs and said sleeves, and hence between said front legs and said rear frame of saidchair,

(p) said further aligned split sleeves being selectively separable from the closed end of said second front leg to enable said seat to be rotated upwardly into the plane defined by the first said front leg,

(q said sec-ond front leg being rotatable close to the plane of said rear frame, and the finst said front leg being rotatable close to said planeof said rear frame, whereby said chair can be folded so it is compact,

(r) said front legs having the lower ends of the long arms thereof extending downwardly below thelower ends of said rear legs, whenever said chair is folded, to keep said front legs from swinging loosely when said chair isin its folded position and is resting on its legs.

3. A folding chair which comprises:

(a) rear legs,

(b) sleeves secured to said rear legs,

(c) said sleeves inclining forwardly and also inclining inwardly whenever said chair is in its open position,

((1) a front leg that generally has the configuration of an inverted J,

(e) the short arm of said front leg telescoping downwardly into one of said sleeves and being confined and guided by said one sleeve,

(f) interacting surfaces on said one sleeve and on the short arm of said front leg that hold said front leg in assembled relation with one of said rear legs while permitting said front leg to rotate relative to said one rear leg,

(g) said interacting surfaces including a groove in said short arm of said front leg and a protuberance at the interior of said one sleeve,

(h) a second front leg that generally has the configuration of an inverted J,

(i) the short arm of said second front leg telescoping downwardly into the other of'said sleeves, and being confined and guided by said other sleeve, and

(j) further interacting surfaces on said other sleeve and on the short arm of said second front leg that hold said second front leg in assembled relation with the other of said rear legs while permitting said second front leg to rotate relative to said other rear leg, 7

(.k) said further interacting surfaces including a groove in said short arm of said second front leg and a protuberance at the interior of said other sleeve,

(1) the portions of the short arms of said front legs which extend upwardly from said sleeves being inclined forwardly at a sharp angle relative to said sleeves,

(m) the forward inclinations of said portions of the short arms of said front legs coacting with the forward and inward inclinations of said sleeves to enable a users weight to provide binding and clamping forces which will take up any looseness between said front legs and said sleeves, and hence between said front legs and said rear legs of said chair,

(n) said front legs having the lower ends of the long arms thereof extending downwardly below the lower.

ends of said rear legs, whenever said chair is folded,

8? to keep said front legs from swinging loosely when saidchair is in its foldedposition and is resting on its legs,

(0) the inward inclinations of said sleeves'causing the lower ends of the long arms, of said front legs to move vertically upwardly, relative to the lower ends of said rear legs, as. said front legs are rotated from their folded to their open positions.

4. A folding chair which comprises:

(a) rear legs,

(b) sleeves secured to said rear legs,

(c) said sleeves inclining forwardly and upwardly whenever said chair is in its open position,

(d) a front leg that generally has the configuration of an inverted J,

(e) the short arm of said front legtelescoping downwardly and rearwardly into one of said sleeves and being confined and guided'by said one sleeve,

(f) interacting surfaces on said one sleeve and on the short arm of said front leg to hold saidfront leg in assembled relation with one of said rear legs while permitting said front leg to rotate relative to said one rear leg,

(g) a second front leg that generally has the configuration of an inverted J,

(h) the short arm of said second from leg telescoping downwardly and rearwardly into the: other. of said sleeves, and being confined and guided by said other sleeve,

(i) further interacting surfaces on said other sleeve and on the short armof said second front leg that hold said second front leg in assembled relation with theother of said rear legs while permitting saidsecond front leg to rotate relative to said other rear leg,

(j) the portions of the short! arms of said front legs which extend upwardly from said sleeves being inclined forwardly and upwardly at a sharp angle relative to said sleeves,

(k); the forward inclinations of said portions of the short arms of said front legs coacting with the forward inclinations of said sleeves to enable a users weight to tilt said rear legs forwardly a slight distance and thereby provide binding and, clamping forces which will take up any looseness between said front legs and said sleeves, and hence. between said front legs and saidrear legs of said chair,

(1) said second front leg beingrotatable close to the plane of said rear legs, and the first said front leg being rotatable close to said plane of said rear legs, whereby said chair .canbe' folded so it is compact,

(m) said front legs having the lower ends. of the long arms thereof-extending downwardly below the lower ends of said rear legs, whenever said chair is folded,

to keep said front legs from swinging loosely when said chair is in its folded position and is resting on its legs.

5. A folding chair which comprises:

(a) rear legs,

(b) sleeves secured to said rear legs,

(c) said sleeves inclining forwardly and upwardly and also inclining inwardly whenever said chair is in its open, position,

((1) a front leg that generally has the configuration of an inverted J,

(c) the short arm of said front-leg telescoping downwardly and rearwardly into one of said sleeves and being confined and guided by said one sleeve,

(f) a second front leg that generally has the configuration of an inverted J,

(g) the short arm of said second front leg telescoping downwardly and rearwardly into the other of said sleeves, and being confined and guided by said other sleeve,

(h) the portions of the short arms of said front legs which extend upwardly from said sleeves being in- 9 clined forwardly at a sharp angle relative to said sleeves,

(i) the forward inclinations of said portions of the short arms of said front legs coacting with the forward and inward inclinations of said sleeves to enable a users weight to tilt said rear legs forwardly a slight distance and thereby provide binding and clamping forces which will take up any looseness between said front legs and said sleeves, and hence between said front legs and said rear legs of said chair, and

(j) said front legs having the lower ends of the long arms thereof extending downwardly below the lower ends of said rear legs, whenever said chair is folded, to keep said front legs from swinging loosely when said chair is in its folded position and is resting on its legs,

(k) the inward inclinations of said sleeves causing the lower ends of the long arms of said front legs to move vertically upwardly, relative to the lower ends of said rear legs, as said front legs are rotated from their folded to their open positions.

6. A folding chair which comprises:

(a) rear legs,

(b) front legs, and

(c) pivots that secure said front legs to said rear legs and that are inclined forwardly and upwardly and inwardly,

(d) the forward inclinations of said pivots coacting with the inward inclinations of said pivots to enable a users weight to tilt said rear legs forwardly a slight distance and thereby take up any looseness between said front legs and said rear legs,

(e) said front legs being rotatable close to the plane defined by said rear legs, so said chair will be compact when it is folded,

(f) said front legs having the lower ends thereof extending downwardly below the lower ends of said rear legs, whenever said chair is folded, to keep said front legs from swinging loosely when said chair is in its folded position and is resting on its legs,

(g) said inward inclination of said pivots causing the lower ends of said front legs to move vertically upwardly, relative to the lower ends of said rear legs, as said front legs are rotated from their folded to their open positions.

7. A folding chair that comprises:

(a) a rear frame which includes rear legs and an invverted U-shaped portion,

(b) a front leg that generally has the configuration of an inverted J,

(c) the short arm of said front leg being pivoted to said rear frame,

(d) a second front leg that generally has the configuration of an inverted J,

(e) the short arm of said second front leg being pivoted to said rear frame,

( f) a back rest with split sleeves thereon that are snapped over parts of the periphery of said inverted U-shaped portion of said rear frame, and

(a) seat.

(h) said seat having a plurality of aligned split sleeves that are snapped over the closed end of the first said front leg to permit rotation of said seat relative to the first said front leg while holding said seat in assembled relation with the first said front leg,

(i) said seat having further aligned split sleeves that can be selectively snapped into and out of engagement with the closed end of said second front leg,

(j) said further aligned split sleeves being selectively separable from the closed end of said second front leg to enable said seat to be rotated upwardly into the plane defined by the first said front leg,

(k) said second front leg being rotatable close to the plane of said rear frame, and the first said front leg and said seat being rotatable close to said plane of said rear frame, whereby said chair can be folded so it is compact.

8. A folding chair that comprises:

(a) a rear frame which includes rear legs,

(b) a front leg that generally has the configuration of an inverted I,

(c) the short arm of said front leg being pivoted to said rear fname,

(d) a second front leg that generally has the configuration of an inverted I,

(e) the short arm of said second front leg being pivoted to said rear frame, and

(f) a seat,

(g) said seat having a plurality of aligned split sleeves that are snapped over the closed end of the first said front leg to permit rotation of said seat relative to the first said front leg with said closed end of the first said leg as a pivot while holding said seat in assembled relation with the first said front leg,

(h) said seat having further aligned split sleeves that can be selectively snapped into and out of engagement with the closed end of said second front leg,

(i) said further aligned split sleeves being selectively separable from the closed end of said second front leg to enable said seat to be rotated upwardly about said closed end of the first said front leg into the plane defined by the first said front leg,

(j) said second front leg being rotatable close to the plane of said rear frame, and the first said front leg and said seat being rotatable close to said plane of said rear frame, whereby said chair can be folded so it is compact.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,692,637 10/ 1954 Rainwater 297440 2,860,692 11/ 1958 Hamilton 297-42 2,990,007 6/ 1961 Kossler 297440 3,054,643 9/ 1962 Militano 297-440 3,061,374 10/1962 Grosfil-lex 297-44 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,249,540 ll/ 1960 France.

620,711 3/ 1949 Great Britain.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FOLDING CHAIR THAT COMPRISES; (A) A REAR FRAME WHICH INCLUDES REAR LEGS, AN INVERTED U-SHAPED PORTION, AND INCLINED PORTIONS INTERMEDIATE AND CONNECTING SAID REAR LEGS AND SAID INVERTED USHAPED PORTION, (B) SLEEVES SECURED TO SAID REAR FRAME ADJACENT THE UPPER ENDS OF THE FRONT SURFACES OF SAID REAR LEGS, (C) SAID SLEEVES INCLINING FORWARDLY AND ALSO INCLINING INWARDLY WHENEVER SAID CHAIR IS IN ITS OPEN POSITION, (D) A FRONT LEG THAT GENERALLY HAS THE CONFIGURATION OF AN INVERTED J, (E) THE SHORT ARM OF SAID FRONT LEG TELESCOPING DOWNWARDLY INTO ONE OF SAID SLEEVES AND BEING CONFINED AND GUIDED BY SAID ONE SLEEVE, (F) INTERACTING SURFACES ON SAID ONE SLEEVE AND ON THE SHORT ARM OF SAID FRONT LEG THAT HOLD SAID FRONT LEG IN ASSEMBLED RELATION WITH SAID REAR FRAME WHILE PERMITTING SAID FRONT LEG TO ROTATE TO SAID REAR FRAME, (G) SAID INTERACTING SURFACES INCLUDING A GROOVE IN SAID SHORT ARM OF SAID FRONT LEG AND A PROTUBERANCE AT THE INTERIOR OF SAID ONE SLEEVE, (H) A SECOND FRONT LEG THAT GENERALLY HAS THE CONFIGURATION OF AN INVERTED J, (I) THE SHORT ARM OF SAID SECOND FRONT LEG TELESCOPING DOWNWARDLY INTO THE OTHER OF SAID SLEEVES, AND BEING CONFINED AND GUIDED BY SAID OTHER SLEEVE, (J) FURTHER INTERACTING SURFACES ON SAID OTHER SLEEVE AND ON THE SHORT ARM OF SAID SECOND FRONT LEG THAT HOLD SAID SECOND FRONT LEG IN ASSEMBLED RELATION WITH SAID REAR FRAME WHILE PERMITTING SAID SECOND FRONT LEG TO ROTATE RELATIVE TO SAID REAR FRAME, (K) SAID FURTHER INTERACTING SURFACES INCLUDING A GROOVE IN SAID SHORT ARM OF SAID SECOND FRONT LEG AND A PROTUBERANCE AT THE INTERIOR OF SAID OTHER SLEEVE, (L) A BACK REST WITH SPLIT SLEEVES THEREON THAT ARE SNAPPED OVER PARTS OF THE PERIPHERY OF SAID INVERTED U-SHAPED PORTION OF SAID REAR FRAME, AND (M) A SEAT, (N) SAID SEAT HAVING A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED SPLIT SLEEVES THAT ARE SNAPPED OVER THE CLOSED END OF THE FIRST SAID FRONT LEG TO PERMIT ROTATION OF SAID SEAT RELATIVE TO THE FIRST SAID FRONT LEG WHILE HOLDING SAID SEAT IN ASSEMBLED RELATION WITH THE FIRST SAID FRONT LEG, (O) SAID SEAT HAVING FURTHER ALIGNED SPLIT SLEEVES THAT CAN BE SELECTIVELY SNAPPED INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMETN WITH THE CLOSED END OF SAID SECOND FRONT LEG, (P) THE PORTIONS OF THE SHORT ARMS OF SAID FRONT LEGS WHICH EXTEND UPWARDLY FROM SAID SLEEVES BEING INCLINED FORWARDLY AT A SHARP ANGLE RELATIVE TO SAID SLEEVES, (Q) THE FORWARD INCLINATIONS OF SAID PORTIONS OF THE SHORT ARMS OF SAID FRONT LEGS COACTING WITH THE FORWARD AND INWARD INCLINATIONS OF SAID SLEEVES TO ENABLE A USER''S WEIGHT TO PROVIDE BINDING AND CLAMPING FORCES WHICH WILL TAKE UP ANY LOOSENESS BETWEEN SAID FRONT LEGS AND SAID SLEEVES, AND HENCE BETWEEN SAID FRONT LEGS AND SAID REAR FRAME OF SAID CHAIR, (R) SAID FURTHER ALIGNED SPLIT SLEEVES BEING SELECTIVELY SEPARABLE FROM THE CLOSED END OF SAID SECOND FRONT LEG TO ENABLE SAID SEAT TO BE ROTATED UPWARDLY INTO THE PLANE DEFINED BY THE FIRST SAID FRONT LEG, (S) SAID SECOND FRONT LEG BEING ROTATABLE CLOSE TO THE PLANE OF SAID REAR FRAME, AND THE FIRST SAID FRONT LEG AND SAID SEAT THEREAFTER BEING ROTATABLE CLOSE TO SAID PLANE OF SAID REAR FRAME, WHEREBY SAID CHAIR CAN BE FOLDED SO IT IS COMPACT, (T) SAID FRONT LEGS HAVING THE LOWER ENDS OF THE LONG ARMS THEREOF EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY BELOW THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID REAR LEGS, WHENEVER SAID CHAIR IS FOLDED, TO KEEP SAID FRONT LEGS FROM SWINGING LOOSELY WHEN SAID CHAIR IS IN ITS FOLDED POSITION AND IS RESTING ON ITS LEGS, (U) THE INWARD INCLINATIONS OF SAID SLEEVES CAUSING THE LOWER ENDS OF THE LONG ARMS OF SAID FRONT LEGS TO MOVE VERTICALLY UPWARDLY, RELATIVE TO THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID REAR LEGS, AS SAID FRONT LEGS ARE ROTATED FROM THEIR FOLDED TO THEIR OPEN POSITIONS, (V) SAID REAR LEGS AND SAID INVERTED U-SHAPED PORTION AND SAID INCLINED PORTIONS BEING UNITARY. 